Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. It towers over the city of Catania in Sicily, Italy. Mount Etna is 10,900 feet tall. Mount Etna volcano erupted massively in 2011. The explosion was 4,500 feet high. The explosion was so big that 2 nearby airports were forced to shut down. No one was injured. There were small eruptions in January 2011 prior to the big eruption. These small eruptions were warning signs to locals citizens to keep a cautious watch. Even though the volcano is active, 2010 was a calm year for Etna. The most violent eruption was in 1969 and more then 15,000 people were killed.
Bursting gas bubbles cause these explosions. When a gas bubble surfaces it causes the crater to fling lava and rocks high into the air. When the rocks are flung it hardens and becomes volcanic ash. Volcanic ash consists of small-pulverized pieces of glass and magma. On August 12, 2011, Mount Etna had its 10th explosion of the year, which caused a thick white plume gas and ash on the southeast crater. This thick white smoke was caused by vigorous lava fountain at the new southeast crater. The ash spewed to an altitude of 14,000 feet.
-Amelia Hernigle
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41064182/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/mount-etna-blasts-lava-ash-sky/#.TmWKjM2J2dx
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=51729&src=nha
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